Ice can grid



y 11936 A. P. DOUGHERTY ET AL 1 fl y ICE CAN GRID Filed March 16, 1935INVENTOR A. P. DOUGH ERTV AND Y W.H. TEVEN5,

ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE CAN GRIDApplication March 16, 1935, Serial No. 11,502

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in can grids of the type employedin the harvesting of manufactured ice, in which a plurality of freezingcans may be conveniently lifted as a unit from the 6 usual brine tankand the ice cakes dumped from the cans. These prior can grids comprise aladder like frame made up of fiat longitudinal side bars connected atintervals by cross bars or members thus providing a plurality ofsubstantially rectangular openings in which the freezing cans wereinserted, with the rims of the can resting upon and supported by thelongitudinal bars or cross bars.

Due to the great strain on the longitudinal bars and cross bars, andparticularly on the longitudinal bars of these grids, it has beennecessary in actual practice for the manufacturer to allow and providefor considerable camber under stress of every day use. This practicallyprecluded the 0 possibility of evenly supporting the cans on all foursides, so essential to the economical harvesting of the ice from thegrids.

The present invention has for an object to overcome the above and otherobjections by embossing the side and cross bars to reinforce thelongitudinal bars against camber and to provide integral protuberanceson which the freezing cans may be evenly supported on all four sides.Another object of the invention is to provide a can grid which can beeconomically manufactured and so constructed that the members thereofcan be readily assembled at any desired point.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as thedescription is considered with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the grid showing two freezing cans and theair line in place;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the grid shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an end View partly in section showing the planking forcovering the brine vat in place;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of grid;

40 Figure 5 is a detail fragmentary side view of one of the cross barsand a fragmentary perspective of one of the side bars, showing themanner of assembling the parts of the grid; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side View of one of the side bars and twocross bars shown in the Figure 4 modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 denotes a grid or frameconsisting of two longitudinal members or bars 2 connected at intervalsby cross members or bars 3, thus providing substantially rectangularopenings 4, for loosely receiving freezing cans 5. The grid shown isdesigned to carry eight cans but it will be understood that provisionmay be made for anydesired number of cans. The bars 2 and 3 arepreferably made of bar steel.

The longitudinal side members or bars 2 are provided with spacedapertures 6 adapted to receive a pair of lugs 1 formed on each end edgeof the cross members or bars. These lugs may 10 be secured to the sidemembers in any desired manner, as by peaning or welding. The sidemembers 2 are also embossed to provide bosses 8, adjacent their loweredges upon which rests the narrow sides of a reinforcing band 9, withwhich 15 the freezing cans are provided. The embossing operation iseffected by stamping while the bars are hot and consists in forcing themetal laterally so that the bosses 8 project from the inner side or faceof the bars, there being a corresponding 0 depression ID on the otherside of the bar opposite each boss.

Each cross bar 3 is embossed in a similar manner to that just described,toprovide supporting bosses II for engagement by the long 25 sides ofthe freezing cans. The bosses II are identical with and located in thesame horizontal plane as the bosses 8, however the former bosses areformed on both sides of the cross bars, with the exception of the twobars at the end of the 30 grid. After the freezing cans have beeninserted in the grid with their top reinforcing bands evenly supportedon all four sides by the bosses 8 and II, the cans are clamped securelyin place by means of a plurality of rods l2, inserted through notchesI3, formed in the ends of the cross bars at a point spaced above thebosses 8 and H a distance equal to or slightly greater than the heightof the band 9, so that the rods will snugly engage the top edge oftheband. It 4 will of course be understood that one long rod l2 at eachside of the grid may be effectively employed in lieu of the series ofbars shown.

An air pipe 3 for providing aeration to the cans during the freezingprocess, is seated in semi-circular notches l4 formed in the top edgesof the cross bars 3. The air pipe is thus supported in a horizontalplane slightly below the top edge of the grid so that planking l5commonly used to cover the brine tanks will lie evenly on the plankingand grid supports [6. Sections of hose or pipes I! depend from the airsupply pipe l8, into the individual freezing cans, for an obviouspurpose.

The modified form of grid disclosed in Figures 4 and 6 is identical withthe preferred embodiment with the exception that two spaced cross bars 3are employed instead of the single bars 3, and the bars 3' are embossedon one side only. Of course, when the spaced cross bars 3 are used, itwill be necessary to provide the side bars 2 with additional apertures6, as shown in Figure 6.

The bosses 8 and l l on the respective side and cross bars 2 and 3 inaddition to providing a stable and even support for the freezing cans,strengthen the bars and particularly the side bars, against camberduring the operation of lifting and tipping the grid, with the canstherein, which may be carried out according to com mon practice. It willalso be noted that the bosses 8 and l I can be so located in any barused in making up the grid, that the overall depth of any individual canmay be flexibly regulated within a considerable range; also that byincreasing the extent to which the bosses extend into the openings 4,considerable flexibility as to the shifting of the can centers isprovided for.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A grid for ice cans comprising, in combination, substantiallyparallel side members and cross members for supporting said cans,integral embossed means on said side and cross members for engagementwith the top reinforcing bands of the cans and means engageable with thetops of the cans for clamping them against displacement.

2. A grid for ice cans comprising side and cross members for supportingsaid cans, integral embossed means on said side and cross members forengagement with all four sides of the top reinforcing bands of said cansand means engageable with the tops of the cans for clamping them againstdisplacement.

3. A grid for ice cans comprising side and cross members for supportingsaid cans, integral embossed means on said side and cross members forengagement with all four sides of the top reinforcing bands of saidcans, said cross members being notched and removable means passingthrough said notches and engageable with the tops of the cans forclamping them against displacement.

AUGUSTUS P. DOUGHERTY. WILLIAM H. STEVENS.

